Edison, Bell, and the Wright Brothers - sure, their
inventions changed the world, but they never seemed to think up anything for
the kids. If they had, there might have been a big payday waiting for them. In
2009, the toy industry generated more than $21 billion in revenue despite a down
economy, and that figure doesn't include candy, clothing and all sorts of other
things made specifically for kids.Inventing for kids can reward more than bank accounts. For
instance, Ralph Baer, known as the "Father of Video Games" for inventing
the first video game console, was awarded a National Medal of Technology by
President Bush in 2006.
Starting our list of inventions with a bang - or a pop, at
least -- is the toy balloon. Blow one up and bop it around or fill one with
helium and watch it fly. You could make a strong case that balloons, at just a
few cents apiece, provide the highest fun-to-cost ratio on the planet.Although toy balloons have been made from latex since the
early 19th century, the first toy balloons were made of something a little
harder to stomach -- animal intestines. After cleaning them out and stretching
them, they could be filled with air, just like the balloons you buy at the
store. In fact, the Aztecs even created balloon shaped like animals this way as
part of certain religious ceremonies.
Thankfully, manipulating animal entrails is no longer a part
of the balloon-making process. Instead, balloon molds are dipped into vats of
pigmented latex and allowed to dry. Once the latex is pulled away from the
mold, the balloon is ready to hit the shelves. Fortunately, balloons are
extremely cheap to produce. Otherwise, balloon enthusiasts like Tribe Henning
wouldn't be able to create the massive spectacles seen at events like the
Olympics and the Super Bowl. Henning certainly wouldn't have been able to
coordinate the world's largest balloon launch for the United Way, where he
released 1.4 million balloons at once. But whether you
have a million balloons or just one, you're in for some fun.
When car seats were first created, they were designed more
to keep children from crawling around the car than for safety. Fortunately, car
seats have come a long way since those early days. Today's models cut the
likelihood of a fatality resulting from a crash in half when used properly,
saving hundreds of lives every year in the process. So even if you don't live
in one of the dozens of states that hand out heavy fines for car seat
violations, you should always strap your child into a car or booster seat no
matter how short the trip.
Of course, you'll also need to make sure you're using the
right type of car or booster seat for your child and that you're using it
properly. A study of 1,000 Canadian drivers found that up to 80 percent of
parents use their car seats incorrectly, placing children in the wrong type of
seat for their age, not tightening the straps properly and making a number of
other potentially dangerous mistakes.
In addition to
following the car seat manufacturer's instructions, make sure to remember the
general guidelines for keeping your kids safe in the car. For instance, infants
should be placed in rear-facing car seats while toddlers should ride in
forward-facing seats, and whenever possible. The Kellogg brothers invented corn
flakes after letting a batch of boiled wheat go stale. Percy Spencer invented
the microwave oven only after accidentally melting a candy bar while tinkering
with vacuum tubes.
In the case of the Hula-Hoop, Wham-O toy company founders
Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin didn't have to do much
inventing at all. In 1958, after hearing about Australian children playing with
bamboo hoops during gym class, the two decided to recreate the bamboo hoops out
of a then cutting-edge plastic called Marlex. The rest is history. Wham-O's
hoop sparked a craze that swept the nation, with 40 million selling in the
first year alone, and international orders pushed the total over 100 million in
the following years.
While the Wham-O founders had a great eye for new toys,
their business sense wasn't quite as strong. The demand for Hula-Hoops dried up
as quickly as it had grown, leaving Wham-O with warehouses full of hoops and no
buyers. In the end, Knerr and Melin netted only $10,000 in profit from the
whole experience. The experience wasn't a total loss, however. Only a few years
later, they would put their knowledge of toys to good use when they marketed
their next big invention, the Frisbee.